


Tea and Sympathy

by threedices



Series: Naruto rare pair bingo [13]
Category: Naruto
Genre: Awkward Conversations, Background Poly, Bigotry & Prejudice, Established Relationship, Multi, Naruto Rare Pair Bingo 2019, POV Outsider, Protectiveness
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-01
Updated: 2019-09-01
Packaged: 2020-10-05 03:34:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 593
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20482184
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/threedices/pseuds/threedices
Summary: It was not that Ebisu didn't trust Anko, except it was.He didn't want to wake up one day and find out that she had killed his team mates in their sleep.Gai and Genma were of course too much in love to see it his way and tried to make them get along.





	Tea and Sympathy

**Author's Note:**

> Square: Genma.

When Ebisu came to get Genma and Gai for the regular team dinner, Anko threw open the door before he could even knock.

Ebisu quickly covered up his flinch.

The creepy teachings of Orochimaru obviously included how to scare hapless visitors witless.

"Hello, Anko."

Her grin was wide and vicious. "Hey, Ebisu."

She stared at him, still smirking, before stepping aside and letting him in.

The silence felt awkward.  
At least to Ebisu.

"Chouza-sensei is waiting, he said stiffly."

Anko hummed, but kept watching him, unblinking.

"Are Gai and Genma there?"

"No." She didn't elaborate. 

"Well, where are they?"

"Genma is getting a gift and Gai had a genin related emergency."

Ebisu began to wonder if this was some kind of trap.  
They wanted him to get along with Anko, but was it necessary to force them into close quarters and then leave him to her nonexistant mercy?

"I see," he said instead of anything else he wanted to say in this moment.  
Something like: I have a high tolerance for crazy, but you exceed it.  
Or: are they coming back and not just food for your summons?

Finally, after another long and awkward silence, Anko said: "do you want some tea?"

Ebisu thought there was the slightest sliver of uncertainty on her face, the first he had ever seen on her.

Against his better judgement, he accepted.

At he could say, I told you do, when she inevitably killed Gai and Genna, too.

His misgivings aside, Anko actually made excellent tea, which she probably learned to cover up the poison she used to kill her targets.

Ebisu drank stiffly, just as he sat stiffly and made stilted conversation.

How was Ibiki? Oh he was well. Did they plan to have kids? He denied. He had already enough children, with his students. He would run it by Ibiki, though, just to be sure.

"You should," Anko told him, staring intently into her tea. "He'd be a good father."

That gave Ebisu pause.  
Maybe Anko was crazy, but it seemed she was capable of friendship.

That raised the chances of her not killing his team mates in their sleep, in a fit if madness, inherited by her sensei.

Once again, Ebisu was glad that his team had such a steadfast, reasonable teacher.

He was even more relieved when his team mates finally deigned to show up.

Gai hugged first Ebisu, then Anko, while Genma kissed Anko first and then patted Ebisu on the shoulder.

"Did you have fun?"

"Yes, Genma, it was great." Ebisu tried to inject as much sarcasm into that deadpan as he could.

Genma smiled, wilfully misunderstanding everything Ebisu wanted to get across. /> "That's great. Then you won't have anythjng against Anko coming with us."  
That tone Genna was his final, good we are in agreement tone.

He patted Ebisu on the shoulder again and then offered Anko his arm.  


Anko giggled.

Ebish watched in quiet horror.

Gai dragged him along, still gaping, with a comradely arm around his shoulders.

"I am glad you get along so well," Gai said sincerely, smile bright.  
"We love Anko, and it would be sad if we had to choose sides."

Ebisu swallowed his sharp words and nodded.

They were a team.

Not every team gad survived the war intact.  
A good team was important and special.

He looked at Anko looking at Genma, then looked at Gai beside him.  
Ebisu sighed.  
He could live with this as the new normal, he supposed.

Gai and Genma were alive and happy.

That was all that mattered.


End file.
